Realizing a Delish Dream

Hi everyone! I’m back with another Freedom Friday post. I’m so thankful to be surrounded by powerful women who are truly inspiring; pursuing their dreams and overcoming obstacles. In this post I share an interview with personal chef, blogger, and the owner of Delish D’Lites, Jannese Torres.

I’ve known Jannese for over 7 years now. We’re both awesome, which is why we connected 😉 I am a HUNGRY subscriber of her blog. Why am I hungry? Because I’m too lazy to cook, but I LOVE looking at the high-def images she uses for her dishes. Like, I can totally smell the sofrito, hehehe. Every time I see one of her new posts I practically beg her to invite me to her home when I’m back East. Here is a picture of one of my favorite recipes of hers (arroz con pollo):

Click the image for full recipe

Mouth watering, right? Well let’s see what other D’LISHiousness she has in store for us…

1 – How did you come up with the idea for Delish D’Lites? What steps did you take, from idea, to actual business?

I wanted an outlet to express my passion for cooking. At first, I envisioned Delish D’Lites as a personal chef company, but soon I began to realize that incorporating it as a blog would allow me to have a creative outlet from the start, while I built my client list. I’ve followed famous food bloggers like SkinnyTaste and The Pioneer Woman for years, and I thought to myself “Why can’t I do this too?” So I researched how to get a URL, build a basic blog, and got to work.

2 – What resources did you have, to help you build your blog and business? Did you already have these resources at your disposal, or did you have to go out and find the help you needed?

I really didn’t know anything except how to build a standard website. I’ve built websites in the past for different organizations, but I soon realized that building a blog is totally different. I had to teach myself about how to incorporate social media into my business, as it plays a huge role in the blogging world. I had to teach myself how to use Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and more. And I had a lot to learn about SEO, monetizing a blog and getting traffic to your site. To find about information about all these topics, I searched the web. There’s a lot of amazing, valuable information out there, you just have to take the time to sift through and apply it to your site.

3 – What tools did you use to build your business and brand?

I started off with a WordPress.com site, it was the easiest way to start a blog without knowing much of the technical stuff. It allowed me to begin to understand the blogosphere and build my confidence in running a blog. Once I felt ready to take things to the next level, I switched my site to a self-hosted version with GoDaddy.com, which opened up lots of customization options that I didn’t have before, and more importantly, allowed me to begin to monetize my site! I also learned valuable lessons about food photography by attending classes at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City. My go to website for photoediting is Pixlr.com, it makes my photos look great, easy to use, and it’s FREE! All my pictures are taken with the (other) love of my life, besides my husband, my Nikon D3100.

4 – In what ways has your life changed since starting Delish D’Lites?

I never thought I would have the opportunity to get paid to do what I love.

Blogging has opened up so many opportunities to work with a slew of amazing companies, and get paid for it! What more can you ask for?

5 – What are the biggest lessons you’ve learned about yourself as a business owner, and as a person, from the time you started working on Delish D’Lites?

More than anything, I learned that I can do anything I put my mind to. Starting a business can seem overwhelming and daunting, but you have to just take things one day at a time, be eager to learn, and trust your gut. If it feels right, it’s probably a good idea.

6 – What one piece of advice can you offer to someone looking to build an online business? And more specifically to the foodies out there?

I would say, be true to YOU. There are so many people creating blogs just to make some money, but they have no story or personality behind their recipes. People will connect to you if they feel that they can relate to you, and the only way to do that is to be authentic.

7 – What can we look forward to from you and Delish D’Lites in the upcoming year?

More delish recipes, more partnerships with world-class brands, and a luxuriously renovated website! Stay tuned!

Fave Recipe so far: It has to be my Puerto Rican Arroz Con Pollo, this recipe is near and dear to my heart for 2 reasons. First, it was one of the first recipes I photographed after taking a food photography course, and it marks the beginning of my transformation from somebody taking pics of food with a iPhone, to someone taking legit food photography pics. Secondly, arroz con pollo is the dish that always reminds me of home, and there’s nothing better than that!